Poker Tips By George: Dirty Poker (Part 2) – Collusion

My previous column on Dirty Poker introduced you to a book about cheating in poker, and provided a rather thorough overview of the art of cheating. In this column, we’ll go into further detail regarding what the book describes, specifically with regard to collusion.

Collusion – The most common form of cheating

The most popular form of cheating is the “art” of collusion, where two or more players team up to cheat their opponents at the table. One way of executing this idea in live poker games is when a person uses chips – not one’s facial expressions or body language – to communicate with collusion partners to let them know when he holds a powerful starting hand. Here’s a good example of this technique in Texas hold’em:

A chip placed on the upper left corner of one of his hole cards indicates pocket Aces;

A chip on the top center of the card tells his buddies that he has pocket Kings.

A chip on the upper right corner indicates pocket Queens.

Likewise, a chip along the middle of one of his hole cards, from left to right, announces J-J, 10-10, and 9-9.

A similar system is used to inform partners when holding non-paired premium and other attractive starting hands, like A-K, A-Q, A-J, A-10, K-Q, K-J, and K-10. They’ll use two chips, one precisely atop the other, when the cards are suited, while slightly displacing the top chip from the bottom chip if the cards are off-suit.

As the hand progresses, when one partner makes a big hand, the others colluding at the table will know it and, accordingly, help build the pot. In all cases, the other partners will muck their hands before the showdown, thereby concealing the cheating underway.

2/5/10 NL @500ClubCasino tonight ..watched two local, nit regs check a J98hhh flop, check, bet 30, call on turn ..then check river with last to act announcing “anyone else I go all in”.. he shows Q10hh, the other holds A7hh…I left the game, horrible … #poker#Collusion

Cheating in Home Games

I hate to say it, but virtually all forms of cheating can be executed in home games. Overwhelmingly, much like safe online casinos and poker rooms that have proper security, licensing, and audited payouts, home games are fun poker outlets for recreational players. Occasionally though, especially if the stakes are high, you’ll get a bad apple or two among the bunch. If you’re in a home game where you happen to notice any of the following types of collusion taking place, head home and don’t ever go back:

“Marked cards” are easily created. Just look or feel the back of the card.

“Stripped cards” are shaved on one side, so adjacent unshaved cards protrude ever so slightly, and can easily be drawn out of the deck.

A “card mechanic” can use his fingers to slide back the top card in the deck and then deal out the next.

“Misdeclaring” a hand is a form of cheating that some players sometimes try to use. At showdown, the cheater incorrectly declares his hand as much higher than it actually is; and his opponent obliges by mucking his cards, putting his hand out of play – one that would have taken the pot. Of course, the victim would have been wise to wait to see his opponent’s hand before rendering his own hand out-of-play by tossing his hole cards into the muck.

Moral of the Story

After a long and productive career as a leader in the aerospace industry, upon his retirement in the 1990s, George Epstein chose poker as his “second career.”

George has been widely recognized for his many significant accomplishments and contributions to our society. These include pioneering and innovations in various materials, testing and manufacturing technologies for our defense and space programs; teaching specialized engineering courses at UCLA, other colleges, and at seven NASA centers; introducing advanced composites into Air Force space systems; and creating the Air Force Manufacturing Problem Prevention Program (has helped avoid costly failures and anomalies for space systems),

He has authored many engineering reports and books; and is listed in American Men of Science; Leaders in American Science; Who’s Who in the West; Dictionary of International Biography; and Personalities in the West and Midwest.

Since “joining” the poker world, George “The Engineer” Epstein has written three poker books – most recently, Hold’em or Fold’em?– An Algorithm for Making the Key Decision and The Art of Bluffing.

George has organized poker groups at two senior centers, at West L.A. College, and at the VA/West Los Angeles, including teaching poker classes.
He is a columnist for several poker and gaming publications.

George has been elected to the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame, and was named Man-of-the-Year by the Westside Optimists, primarily for his efforts in encouraging retirees to learn and enjoy the game of poker.

He firmly believes that playing poker will help to keep seniors/retirees mentally and physically healthy.

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